Risk assessments in eCourtDate help your agency evaluate clients using the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) or your own custom questions. Generate reports, track scores over time, and use results to inform pretrial decisions and supervision levels.

### Overview

The Risk Assessment feature gives your agency a structured, repeatable process for evaluating client risk. You can run the industry-standard Public Safety Assessment for pretrial risk evaluation, or configure custom assessment questions tailored to your jurisdiction's needs. Assessment results are stored with the client and case records, making it easy to generate reports, compare scores over time, and support data-driven case decisions.

- **What it does:** Evaluates clients using standardized or custom risk assessment instruments, generates scored reports, and tracks results over time.
- **Why it matters:** Supports evidence-based decision-making for pretrial release, supervision levels, and resource allocation, while maintaining a defensible audit trail.
- **Who uses it:** Pretrial services officers, probation officers, judges, agency administrators, and case managers.
- **Expected outcomes:** Scored risk assessment reports linked to clients and cases, with historical tracking and exportable data for analysis and compliance reporting.

### Prerequisites

Before you begin conducting risk assessments, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate account with the **Admin** or **Officer** role
- At least one client record created in the system
- A case record associated with the client (assessments are linked to cases)
- Assessment instruments configured by your agency administrator (PSA is available by default; custom questions require setup)
- Familiarity with your agency's risk assessment policies and scoring guidelines

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Navigate to the Assessments Section

1. Click on **Clients** in the top navigation bar.
2. Use the **Search Clients** form to locate the client you need to assess.
3. Click the **Edit** button next to the client.
4. Select the **Assessments** tab on the client profile page.

#### Step 2: Start a New Risk Assessment

1. Click the **Create Assessment** button.
2. Select the **Assessment Type** from the dropdown. Options include **Public Safety Assessment (PSA)** and any custom instruments your agency has configured.
3. Select the **Case** the assessment is associated with from the case dropdown.
4. Confirm the **Assessment Date** (defaults to today's date).
5. Click **Start** to begin the assessment questionnaire.

#### Step 3: Complete the Public Safety Assessment (PSA)

The PSA evaluates pretrial risk based on factors validated by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Answer each question based on the client's criminal history and current case details.

1. Review each question presented on the screen. Questions cover areas such as prior convictions, prior failures to appear, current charge severity, and pending charges.
2. Select the appropriate answer for each question using the provided options.
3. The system calculates scores automatically as you complete each section.
4. After answering all questions, review the summary screen showing the **Failure to Appear (FTA) Score**, **New Criminal Activity (NCA) Score**, and **New Violent Criminal Activity (NVCA) Flag**.
5. Click **Save** to finalize the assessment.

#### Step 4: Configure Custom Risk Assessment Questions

If your agency uses a custom instrument instead of (or in addition to) the PSA, an administrator can configure the questions.

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings** in the top navigation bar.
2. Select the **Assessments** tab.
3. Click **Create Question** to add a new assessment question.
4. Enter the **Question Text** (for example, "Does the client have a history of substance abuse?").
5. Select the **Response Type**: **Yes/No**, **Multiple Choice**, **Scale (1-5)**, or **Text**.
6. Assign a **Score Weight** to each possible response to determine how it contributes to the overall risk score.
7. Set the **Display Order** to control the sequence questions appear in.
8. Click **Save** to add the question.
9. Repeat for each question in your custom instrument.

#### Step 5: Generate Assessment Reports

1. From the client's **Assessments** tab, click on a completed assessment to view the full report.
2. The report displays the overall risk score, individual question responses, score breakdowns by category, and any flags or recommendations.
3. Click **Download** to export the report as a PDF for court filings, case reviews, or record-keeping.
4. To compare assessments over time, view the **Assessment History** section on the client profile, which shows all past scores with dates and trends.

#### Step 6: Use Assessment Results for Case Decisions

1. Review the risk score and recommendations on the assessment report.
2. Use the results to inform pretrial release conditions, supervision level assignments, or program referrals.
3. Document any decisions based on the assessment in the case's **Description** or **Notes** field for auditability.
4. If your agency uses supervision levels, link the assessment result to the appropriate level (see [How to Define Supervision Levels](/how-to-define-supervision-levels) if available).

### What to Expect

After completing a risk assessment, the scored report is immediately available on the client's **Assessments** tab and linked to the associated case. The overall score, category breakdowns, and any risk flags appear in the report. Historical assessments are retained so you can track changes over time. Reports can be downloaded as PDFs for court submissions or internal review. All assessment data contributes to your agency's reporting and dashboards.

### Best Practices

- **Conduct assessments early in the case lifecycle**, ideally at the pretrial stage, so results can inform initial release and supervision decisions.
- **Use consistent scoring standards** across all officers to ensure fair, comparable results agency-wide.
- **Review and update custom questions periodically** to reflect changes in your jurisdiction's policies or evidence-based practices.
- **Track assessment trends over time** for individual clients to identify improvement or escalation, and adjust supervision levels accordingly.
- **Include assessment reports in case files** so judges and attorneys have access to the data during hearings and reviews.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What is the Public Safety Assessment (PSA)?**
A: The PSA is a pretrial risk assessment tool developed by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. It uses nine factors from a client's criminal history to produce scores predicting the likelihood of failure to appear, new criminal activity, and new violent criminal activity. eCourtDate includes the PSA as a built-in assessment option.

**Q: Can I use both the PSA and custom assessments for the same client?**
A: Yes. You can run multiple assessment types for the same client and case. Each assessment is stored independently, so you can compare results from different instruments side by side.

**Q: Who can configure custom assessment questions?**
A: Only users with the **Admin** role can create, edit, or delete custom assessment questions. Officers and other roles can complete assessments but cannot modify the question configuration. Go to **Admin** > **Settings** > **Assessments** to manage questions.

**Q: Can I edit an assessment after it has been completed?**
A: Completed assessments are locked to preserve the integrity of the scoring record. If you need to correct an error, create a new assessment for the same client and case, and note the reason for the re-assessment in the **Description** field. The original assessment remains in the history for auditability.

**Q: How are risk scores calculated for custom assessments?**
A: Each custom question has a score weight assigned to each possible response. The overall risk score is the sum of weighted responses across all questions. Your agency administrator defines the weights when configuring the questions under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Assessments**.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** PSA questions do not appear when starting an assessment.
**Symptoms:** You click **Start** but the assessment questionnaire page is blank or shows an error.
**Solution:**

1. Verify that the PSA instrument is enabled in your agency settings under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Assessments**.
2. Confirm you selected **Public Safety Assessment (PSA)** as the assessment type before clicking **Start**.
3. Check that your user role has permission to conduct assessments.
4. Refresh the page and try again.
5. If the issue persists, contact your agency administrator to verify the PSA configuration.

**Issue:** Assessment report does not download as a PDF.
**Symptoms:** You click **Download** but the file does not save or opens as a blank page.
**Solution:**

1. Ensure your browser allows file downloads and pop-ups from eCourtDate.
2. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge are recommended).
3. Clear your browser cache and try again.
4. Verify you have a stable internet connection during the download.
5. If the issue persists, take a screenshot of any error message and submit a support ticket.

> **Important:** If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Cases](/how-to-manage-cases)
- [How to Manage Clients](/how-to-manage-clients)
- [How to Create Reports](/how-to-create-reports)
- [How to Create Data Dashboards](/how-to-create-data-dashboards)
- [How to Check the Audit Logs](/how-to-check-the-audit-logs)